Flask charging and molding machine



Jul 11, 1944. E, H WHI TAKER' 2,353,207

FLASK CHARGING AND MOLDING MACHINE Original Filed July 9, 1941 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTQR.

Edward H. Whifiaker z, ATTORNEYS July 11, 1944. E. H. WHITTAKER FLASK CHARGING AND MOLDING MACHINE Original Filed July 9, 1941 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 E Q m m H 1n a W E TORNEIYS.

Patented July 11, 1944 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE FLASK CHARGING AND MOLDING MACHINE.

Edward H. Whittaker, Jersey City, N. J.

Original application July 9, 1941, Serial No. 401,651. Divided and this application April 16,

1943, Serial No. 483,294

12 Claims.

'in the flask and about the pattern.

Another important object is to provide a dualpurpose machine, one unit of which serves like a sand frame in one position, as a tamping head in another position and as a leveler for the mold, when in a third position, and to provide means whereby this unit may be quickly and conveniently changed from one position to another, and raised and lowered for tamping, for moving it into operative relation to the flask and mold, and for lifting it clear of the completed product to facilitate removal thereof from the machine.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will appear in the following detailed description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, and in which drawings:

Figure 1 is a vertical longitudinal section of the novel machine, showing, in section, a portion of an endless conveyor and a pattern stripper, associated therewith.

Figure 2 is a horizontal section substantially on the line 2-2 of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a vertical transverse section of the novel machine, with the endless conveyor of Figure 1, also in section, and the stripper of Figure 1 in elevation.

Figure 4 is a sectional detail of a rotary valve preferably employed in controlling the passage of air or fluid pressure to and from pneumatic cylinders used in the operation of the flask charging and molding machine.

Figure 5 is a fragmentary detail View in elevation showing a preferred arrangement of gears for operating sand measuring rotors in the flask charging and molding machine.

In the drawings, wherein for the purpose of illustration is shown a preferred embodiment of the invention and wherein similar reference 50 characters designate corresponding parts thruout the several views, the letter A designates the new flask charging and molding machine; the letter B an endless conveyor for molding sand,

associated with the novel flask charging and molding machine.

The flask charging and molding machine A comprises a combined hopper, measurer and dis- 5 tributor section l0, and a subjacent combined sand-receiving, tamping and leveling section providing a housing.

As for the distributor section Ill, it comprises a hopper portion l2, a measuring portion 13, a

1 distributor portion l4 and a spout portion IS.

The hopper portion l2 comprises side walls l6 and end walls I1, and communicates with the bottom of the housing of the sand conveyor B, thru openings therein, to be subsequently described. I prefer to provide, at the upper end of the hopper portion l2, an adjustable horizontally-disposed bafile I8, having spaced-apart openings I!) which may register with, or partly close, the openings in the sand conveyor housing. This is for the purpose of regulating the volume or amount of sand entering the hopper portion l2. This is important since the sand conveyor B preferably supplies more than one machine A and, if the flow of sand descending into hopper portion |2 of the machine, first served by conveyor B, is not restricted, it may become very compact in the hopper portion I2 and rob, so to speak, the machines A, subsequently supplied by the conveyor B.

3 The baflle |8 may be adjusted to entirely shut off the supply of sand to any machine A, or to provide varying restricted passage of sand to the hopper portion l2 of any machine A.

Beneath the hopper portion i2 is the measur- 5 ing portion l3, comprising a throat 20, open to the hopper portion l2, a plurality of horizontallydisposed longitudinally winged sleeves 2| in the throat 20; the Wings 22 of which overlap slightly as shown in Figure 3 to'provide cavities 23 around the sleeves 2|, in which measured quantities of sand may drop by gravity from the hopper portion I2, a wear-resisting arcuate barrier 24, in the throat 20, running longitudinally of the outermost winged sleeves 2|, and against which the wings 22 thereof may rub or have closely-spaced relation, an engine 25., means 26 for supplying motive power to the engine 25, and motion transmitting means 21 for imparting rotation of the engine 25 to the sleeves 2|.

The engine 25, in the example shown, comprises an oscillating cylinder 28, pivoted as at 29, a piston 30, and piston rod 3|.

As for the means 26 for supplying motive power to the engine 25, this may comprise a dual-way associated therewith, C a flask and D a stripper valve 32, of conventional construction, shown in Figure 4, having a pipe 33, connected to a supply pipe line 34, a flexible pipe 35, connecting the cavity 36 of the valve body 31 with the lower portion of the oscillating cylinder 28, and a flexible pipe 38, connecting the cavity 36 with the upper portion of the cylinder 28, and a lever 35, on the valve stem proper 48, provided with a weight M on one end of the lever 39, and a depending operating rod or member 42 on the other end of this lever. The rod 22 extends downwardly a sufficient distance to be conveniently reached.

and operated by a workman at the base of the machine A.

The motion transmitting means 21, for imparting motion of the engine 25 to the sleeves 2|, comprises a shaft 43 secured to each sleeve 2| and extending thru the end walls 44 of the throat 2|], a train of gears 45, shown in Figure 5, on the ends of shafts 43 at one end of the machine A, and a crank 46, secured to the opposite end of one of the shafts 43 and to the piston rod 3|.

A workman, by pulling on thedepending operating rod 42, may cause an upstroke of the piston 39, and impart a half turn to the winged sleeves 2|, and thus permit a measured volume of sand to fall from the hopper portion I2. Upon releasing the pull on rod 42, the weight 4| will descend and operate valve 32, to cause a downstroke of mechanism, and means 66 for raising and lowering the reciprocable portion. The sand frame 51 is open at two opposite sides, opening into a sand way, later to be described, these openings being in right angular relationship with the tamping head 58.

It is preferred to telescope the sleeve 56 over the spout I5, so the descending sand will not find its way between the confronting faces of the two. In the example shown, the sleeve has side walls 61 and end walls 68, it being rectangular in horizontal section. The supporting plates 6| may be continuations of the end walls 68, as shown piston 38 and impart another half turn to the winged sleeves 2|, for the purpose set forth.

Fluid under pressure in cylinder 28 may find exit thru port 41, shown in Figure '4, in the usual way.

Beneath the measuring portion I3 is the dis? tributing portion I4, comprising a chamber 48, a spirally-winged shaft 49, the wings 56 of which extend from end'to end of chamber 48 and, preferably, between wear resistant impact plates 5|, which may be formed integral with the barriers 24, as in Figure 3 and a rotor 52, for rotating the shaft 49, at a high rate of speed. The chamber 48 is open to the lower portion of throat 28, and at its lower end communicates with the spout portion I5 which, in the example shown, is rectangular in horizontal section.

' The wings 50 of shaft 49 rotating in the direction of the arrow in Figure 1, not only cause a turbulence in the chamber 48 but also tend to throw some of the sand or dust'the'refrom, from end 53 toward end 54 of chamber 48, thereby distributing a greater volume of sand likely to descend from the measuring portion I3 at end 53, since the corresponding subjacent end of hopper portion I2 is the first to receive sand from conveyor B, and the sand is apt to be more compact at that end of the hopper portion than at the other end thereof.

With reference to the novel combined tamping and leveling section I I, it functions somewhat like a sand frame when in theposition shown in Figure 3. It comprises a recipro'cable sand-receiving portion or housing 55, including a. sleeve 56 in telescopic relation with spout portion I5, a rotatable sand frame 51 providing a ramming or tamping head 58, having a compacting face 59, and carrying a leveling mechanism'fidisothat either may be disposed in operative relation to the fiask C and mold, spaced supporting plates 6|, for the frame 51, carried by the sleeve 56, oppositely-disposed, pivoted guiding plates 62, means 63 for normally and yieldably retaining the guiding plates 62 in operative positions with respect to the rotatable frame 51, to confine the sand to a predetermined path, means 64 for rotating the frame 51, means 65 for operating the leveling in Figure l.

The sand frame 51 comprises square end plates 69 and 10, having trunnions 1| and 12 journaled in the plates 6|, as by bearings 13 and 14, respectively; the wall-like head 58 extending from one edge of plate 69 to the corresponding edge of plate 18; and a wall 15 opposite head 56 and secured to end plates 69 and 10 to provide a sand way 16in the frame, as shown in Figure 3. When the rotatable frame is in the position shown in Figure 3, the way 16 communicates with spout I5 of section I 0 and sand may descend thru it, or pile up in way 16. If the frame 51 is given a quarter turn counterclockwise, then the com pacting face 59' is lowermost, to compact or ran: the sand in the mold. If the frame 51 is given a. quarter turn clockwise from the position shown in Figure 3, then the leveling mechanism 60 will be lowermost for use in the mold.

The guiding plates 62 are pivoted at their upper ends to the lower margins of walls 68 of sleeve 56, as at 11, and are preferably provided with horizontal ribs 18 on their confronting faces 19 to engage longitudinal marginal portions of the sand frame when it is in any one of the three positions above mentioned, so as not to permit escape of sand. As the sand frame is rotated, these guiding plates swin first outwardly from a normal position, as the longitudinal edges of the frame rub against the faces 19, and then swing inwardly toward each other, resuming a normal position at each quarter turn of the frame. In order to firmly hold the plates 62 in intimate or sand-excluding relation to frame 61, the means 63 is provided. It may comprise a rod 89 extending thru openings 8| in plates 62 and coil springs 82 about the rod 80, one abutting a head 83 on one end of the rod and the adjacent plate 62, and the other spring 82 confined between a washer 84 and nut 85 on the other end of rod 80, and the adjacent p1ate.62.

As suitable leveling mechanism 60, I have shown, as leveling devices, three perforated discs 86 lying in the same plane with their working faces 81 in a plane substantially the same distance from the axis of trunnions 1| and 12, as the compacting face 59 is located from said axis, these discs being secured to shafts 88 journaled in sleeve-like bearings 89 which may be cast integral with wall 15, so that the wall 15 supports the sleeve-like bearings 89. The discs 86 may be held spaced from wall 15 by bosses 90 acting as hubs for shafts'43 and the shafts, opposite these bosses, may have collars 9| secured thereto for engagement'with the bearings 89.

The means 66 for raising and lowering or rapidly reciprocating the section Il may comprise stationary cylinders 92 carried by section II), as by brackets 93, pistons 94 in the cylinders; con necting rods 95 and 96 between the pistons and bearings 13 and 14, respectively; and, means 91 for operating the pistons '94. This means 91 is asse -2o? similar to that described in connection with enine .25, including a fouL-way valve 98 having pipe 99 to supply pipe line 34, pipes I between the valve 98 and the uppermost portion of the chambers of cylinders .92, and pipes IOI between the valve and the lower portions of the chambers of said cylinders; and lever I02, weight I03, and rod I04 all operating in a manner previously described. It is deemed important that the weight I03 overbalance the weight of rod I04, for the purpose of introducing fluid under pressure into the lower portions of cylinders 92 whenever a Workman releases hold on rod I04, this being for safety purposes.

The means 64 for rotating frame 5'! may comprise an oscillating cylinder I06 pivoted as at 101 to piston rod 95; piston I08 therein; connecting rod I09 secured to the piston and having connection with a crank I I0 on trunnion II; and means III for operating piston I08.

This means III may be similar to that described for operating engine 25, comprising as it does, four-way valve II2; pipe II3 connected to supply pipe 34; pipe II4 having a flexible section, between valve I I2 and the upper portion of the cavity of cylinder I06; similar pipe II5 between the valve II2 and the lower portion of the cavity of cylinder I06; and, lever II6, weight In and rod II8, all operating as previously described, the exhaust port of valve II2 being shown at II9.

In the example shown, the leveling discs 86 are rotated by a turbine I mounted on connecting rod 96, thru motion transmitting means I2I comprising a gear I22 on the turbine shaft; a gear I23 meshing therewith, on a line shaft I24 extending thru thecenter of the sand frame and supported by trunnions H and I2; and, comeshing bevel gears I25 and I26 on the shafts 8B and I24, respectively. Motive fluid may be delivered to turbine I20 by valve controlled pipe I21 having connection with supply pipe line 34, the valve being shown at I28 and having an operating lever and rod I29 similar to that previously described.

In order to exclude sand from the bevel gears I25 and I26, they may be disposed in housings I30 secured to the wall I5, the shaft I24 extending thru the housings which also envelop the bearings 89.

The endless conveyor B, for sand, in the example shown, includes buckets I40, carried by chains I4I, there being an upper run I42 and a. lower run I43, in addition to the ascending and descending runs (not shown) and lower and upper housings I44 and I45 respectively. The upper housing I45 has a grill I46, providing openings I41 disposed over the machine A which may register with the openings I9 in the baffle I8.

A flask C is shown, by way of illustration, in place under the machine A. The flask contains a cavity I for the mold I5I with the inner faces of the end walls I52 of the flask registering with the end plates 69 and I0. 7

The flask C may be supported by a stripper D including a bed plate I60 for the flask C and for a pattern I6I, and a means I62 for vertically reciprocating the bed plate I60.

From the foregoing description, it will be seen that a measured volume of molding sand will find its Way thru the machine and into the flask by way of the sand frame, when the reciprocable sand-receiving portion or housing is in its lowermost position, with its lower edge resting upon the flask C, and the rotatable sand frame 51 in the position shown in Figure 3. Then the workman manipulates the controls described, and the sand frame is rotated a quarter turn counterclockwise and the compacting face 59 comes into play, but sand is not lost, due to the operation of the pivoted guiding plates 62. The head 58 being imperforate, no sand can escape thru it. Reciprocation of the housing 55 will now cause compacting of the sand in the mold. Upon further manipulation of the controls, the leveling mechanism will be lowermost, due to rotation of the sand frame and the rotating discs will level the sand in the mold, as their lower faces assume the same position as that of the compacting face. By again manipulating th controls to bring the imperforate head lowermost, the bed plate I60 of the stripper D, carrying the pattern, may be lowered by the means I62 and permit removal of the mold and flask from the pattern.

Various changes in the shape, size and arrangement of parts may be made to the form of invention herein shown and described, without departing from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the following claims.

I claim:

1. A flask charging and molding machine for cooperation with a flask and pattern carrier, a stationary unit above said carrier including a hopper section, a measuring section, a distributing section and a spout forthe sand; a vertically movable unit intermediate said stationary unit and carrier including a sleeve in telescopic relation with said spout; and a movable frame supported by said movable unit, carrying a sand frame, a tamping head and a leveling mechanism, any one of which may be disposed in opera.- tive relation to the flask.

2. A flask charging and molding machine for association with a flask and pattern carrier; a stationary unit above said carrier including a hopper section and a spout for the sand; a vertically movable unit intermediate said stationary unit and carrier including a sleeve in telescopic relation with said spout; and a movable frame supported by said movable unit, carrying a tamping head and a leveling mechanism, either of which may be disposed in operative relation to said flask. 1

3. A flask charging and molding machine for association with a flask and pattern carrier; a stationary unit above said carrier including a hopper section and a spout for the sand; a vertically movable unit intermediate said stationary unit and carrier including a sleeve in telescopic relation with said spout; and a rotatable frame supported by said movable unit, carrying a tamping head and a leveling mechanism, either of which may be disposed in operative relation to said flask.

4. A flask charging and-molding machine for cooperation with a flask and pattern carrier, a stationary unit above said carrier including a hopper section, a measuring section, a distributing section and a spout for the sand; a vertically movable unit intermediate said stationary unit and carrier including a sleeve in telescopic relation with said spout; and a movable frame supported by said movable unit, carrying a sand frame, a tamping head and a leveling mechanism, any one of which may be disposed in operative relation to the flask, said sand frame having oppositely-disposed openings and a sand way communicating with said openings, said tamping head providing a side wall of said sand frame.

5. A flask charging and molding machine for cooperation with a flask and pattern carrier, a stationary unit above said carrier including a hopper section, a measuring section, a distributing section and a spout for the sand; a vertically movable unit intermediate said stationary unit and carrier including a sleeve in telescopic relation with said spout; and a movable frame supported by said movable unit, carrying a sand frame, a tamping head and a leveling mechanism, any one of which may be disposed in operative relation to the flask, said sand frame having oppositely-disposed openings and a sand way communicating with said openings and said leveling mechanism having a wall support, said tamping head providing one side Wall of said sand frame and said wall support providing the wall of said sand frame opposite said tamping head.

6. A flask charging and molding machine for association with a flask and pattern carrier; a stationary unit above said carrier including a hopper section and a spout for the sand; a vertically movable unit intermediate said stationary unit and carrier including a sleeve in telescopic relation with said spout; and a movabl frame supported by said movable unit, carrying a tamping head and a leveling mechanism, either of which may be disposed in operative relation to said flask, said leveling mechanism including a perforated disc and means for rotating said disc.

'7. A flask charging and molding machine for association with a flask and pattern carrier; a stationary unit above said carrier including a hopper section and a spout for the sand; a vertically movable unit intermediate said stationary unit and carrier including a sleeve in telescopic relation with said spout; and a rotatable frame supported by said movable unit, carrying a tamping head and a leveling mechanism, either of which may be disposed in operative relation to said flask, said leveling mechanism including a perforated disc and means for rotating said disc with itsaxis of rotation normal to the axis of rotation of said frame.

8. A flask charging and molding machine for association with a flask and pattern carrier; a stationary unit above said carrier including a hopper section and a spout for the sand; a vertically movable unit intermediate said stationary unit and carrier including a sleeve in telescopic relation with said spout; and a rotatable frame supported by said movable unit, carrying a tamping head and a leveling mechanism, either of which may be disposed in operative relation to said flask, said leveling mechanism including a perforated disc and means for rotating said disc with its axis of rotation normal to the axis of rotation of said frame, said disc lying in a plane substantially the same distance from the axis of rotation of said frame as the compacting face of said tamping head is located.

9. A flask charging and molding machine for association with a flask and pattern carrier; a stationary unit above said carrier including a hopper section and a spout for the sand; a vertically movable unit intermediate said stationary unit and carrier including a sleeve in telescopic relation with said spout; and a rotatable frame supported by said movabl unit, carrying a tamp+ ing head and a leveling mechanism, either of which may be disposed inoperative relation to said flask, said leveling mechanism including a perforated disc and means for rotating said disc with its axis of rotation normal to the axis of rotation of said frame, said disc lying in a plane substantially the same distance from the axis of rotation of said frame as the compacting face of said tamping head is located, said sand frame having openings at two opposite sides and pro,- viding a sand way communicating with said openings, said tamping head providing one wall of said Way. V

10. In a foundry plant flask charging and molding machine, wherein the flask is disposed directly below said machine, a reciprocable sand-re-' ceiving, tamping and leveling unit, having a sandreceiving housing, a rotatable sand frame including a side wall providing a ramming head when in one position, a side wall opposite said first-named side wall, and end walls joining said side walls, said frame being open at its sides between said side walls and providing a sand way therethru when said sand frame is in a second position, sand leveling means for leveling sand in saidmold, when said sand fram is in a third position, including a leveling mechanism, said leveling mechanism being supported by said second-named side wall, and means for rotating said sand frame to bring it into any one of said positions.

11. In a foundry I plant flask charging and molding machine for association with a flask and pattern carrier and a sand conveyor, including a housing above said carrier and below said con,- veyor, having a hopper section, a spout therebelow for the sand and a combined sand discharge, tamping and leveling section, said hopper section having a sand inlet from said conveyor; means for measuring a volume of sand, within said hopper section; means for distributing said sand, disposed below said first-named means and above said spout; a sand frame in said combined section, carrying a sand-tamping head and a leveling mechanism; means for rotating said frame; means for reciprocating said head; and means for operating said leveling mechanism.

12. A flask charging and molding machine for association with a flask and pattern carrier; a stationary unit above said carrier including a hopper section and a spout for the sand; a vertically movabl unit intermediate said stationary unit and carrier including a sleeve in telescopic relation with said spout; and a movable frame supported by said movable unit, carrying a tamping head and a leveling mechanism, either of which may be disposed in operative relation to said flask, the lower edge of said movable frame being adapted to contact the upper face of said flask, said leveling mechanism including a plurality of horizontally-disposed, rotating, perforated discs, with their lower faces in substantially the same plane and also in the same plane as said lower edge.

' EDWARD H. WHITTAKER. 

